Aprreciate the review, but I think ANY gut review needs to be in comparison to the benchmark gut, VS (or Wilson). If you are comparing power levels and comfort between two lower shelf guts there's still not much for me to learn from that without referencing the "control" string. You owe it to yourself to splurge at least once on the good stuff just so you know for yourself too.

When I switched to gut I started with VS so I'd have that reference point for when I tried others.

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How narcissistic is this post? The world of natural gut revolves around your experiences?

Aprreciate the review, but I think ANY gut review needs to be in comparison to the benchmark gut, VS (or Wilson). If you are comparing power levels and comfort between two lower shelf guts there's still not much for me to learn from that without referencing the "control" string. You owe it to yourself to splurge at least once on the good stuff just so you know for yourself too.

When I switched to gut I started with VS so I'd have that reference point for when I tried others.

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Oh I'm sure that the big boys gut are of finer quality. But I think all of that only applies to the stringing part. For me, once they're on the frame, cow collagen is cow collagen no matter how you brand it.

Oh I'm sure that the big boys gut are of finer quality. But I think all of that only applies to the stringing part. For me, once they're on the frame, cow collagen is cow collagen no matter how you brand it.

And for $15, it plays perfectly for me.

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but wait, you started this topic saying "these strings are stupid powerful to me. Way more powerful than the Gaucho stuff". So you have already acknowledged a major difference between two differnt gut strings!

but wait, you started this topic saying "these strings are stupid powerful to me. Way more powerful than the Gaucho stuff". So you have already acknowledged a major difference between two differnt gut strings!

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Haha, you got me there.

All I'm saying is, cow collagen are more or less the same. I'm not at the point in my life where I don't want to spend the extra $20-30 on quality processing.

To me, if cheap gut survives the stringing process, then it's going to play like gut.

As the cross, Mamba Iontec plays really good, soft and comfortable. All is well with the world. The sun is out and the birds are chirping. Even if you have to play bare foot, it still wouldn't phase you because the MPNG/Mamba Iontec hybrid is just fantastic. Then, on the 1000th stroke, your world collapses. The sky darkens, the warm sun is now gone and replaced by endless fog. The chirping birds have been replaced with red eyed ravens. The smooth ground has suddenly turned into inferno spikes. After ~12 hours, all signs point to the dramatic demise of Iontec.

I have never played with a string that dies so suddenly and dramatically. They were in the crosses so their death shouldn't contribute THAT much. I've tried various polys and multi's in the crosses, and I'm sure I've played with dead crosses before, but none of them were severe enough for me to even notice. I can't imagine how these play on a full bed or even as a main.

It plays nice and soft like Polystar Energy, except Polystar Energy goes longer and its death is not as dramatic.

Mamba Premium Natural Gut (MPNG) 16/SPPP 17, 52/46

After about 4hours, I'm sure whatever that needs to settle would have settled by now. But I still don't care for this setup at all. I think SPPP robs a lot of the touch and feel. Most importantly, it provides a stiffer stringbed which I do not like at all. After trying the likes of Polystar Energy and MSV Co-Focus, SPPP doesn't do it for me.

I hate writing such a negative review for these two strings. SPPP is seemingly one of the favorites among these boards, and Mamba Iontec is quickly gaining a cult following. But as a cross for gut, they just didn't do it for me.

As the cross, Mamba Iontec plays really good, soft and comfortable. All is well with the world. The sun is out and the birds are chirping. Even if you have to play bare foot, it still wouldn't phase you because the MPNG/Mamba Iontec hybrid is just fantastic. Then, on the 1000th stroke, your world collapses. The sky darkens, the warm sun is now gone and replaced by endless fog. The chirping birds have been replaced with red eyed ravens. The smooth ground has suddenly turned into inferno spikes. After ~12 hours, all signs point to the dramatic demise of Iontec.

I have never played with a string that dies so suddenly and dramatically. They were in the crosses so their death shouldn't contribute THAT much. I've tried various polys and multi's in the crosses, and I'm sure I've played with dead crosses before, but none of them were severe enough for me to even notice. I can't imagine how these play on a full bed or even as a main.

It plays nice and soft like Polystar Energy, except Polystar Energy goes longer and its death is not as dramatic.

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I'm on my 6th hour with Mamba Premium Gut 1.30 / Iontec 1.25 at (50#/50#) on a dropweight (SBS of 53# on initial measurement). I noticed a change also, but it was more along the lines of soreness to my wrist and shoulder; something I didn't notice the first few times out. The tension is continually dropping. My last measurement was 14.7% below the initial reading. If you assume that the gut lost about 8-10%, then you have to conclude that Iontec lost about 20% and still dropping. It still plays well at this point. Feel and dwell time are there, but I do notice a bit less spin. However, I don't want to risk further injury so I'm probably going to cut it.

Maybe poly just isn't for me. I know the pros use it, but they only need it to last 2-3 hours, and my arm typically notices the deadness at around the 3-5 hour mark. If you say it's the tension setting, I tried MSV Focus Hex full bed at 35# and it also died in the same timeframe. If anyone finds a poly that lasts a good 10 hours without dying, I want to know. I still haven't found it yet.

Maybe poly just isn't for me. I know the pros use it, but they only need it to last 2-3 hours, and my arm typically notices the deadness at around the 3-5 hour mark. If you say it's the tension setting, I tried MSV Focus Hex full bed at 35# and it also died in the same timeframe. If anyone finds a poly that lasts a good 10 hours without dying, I want to know. I still haven't found it yet.

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If you believe in the benefits of polys, I'd suggest Polystar Energy and MSV Co-Focus. They're awesome.

If you believe in the benefits of polys, I'd suggest Polystar Energy and MSV Co-Focus. They're awesome.

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You also might want to give Solinco Outlast a try as a cross with gut. Of all the polys I've tried, Outlast plays the most consistant throughout the life of the string. I've never wanted to cut it out and string up a fresh cross like I sometimes do with CO-focus. I'm at 26.5 hrs with one Wilson NG/Outlast set up, and it feels almost exactly the same as another frame with Klip Legend uncoated/Outlast that just have 6 hrs.

You also might want to give Solinco Outlast a try as a cross with gut. Of all the polys I've tried, Outlast plays the most consistant throughout the life of the string. I've never wanted to cut it out and string up a fresh cross like I sometimes do with CO-focus. I'm at 26.5 hrs with one Wilson NG/Outlast set up, and it feels almost exactly the same as another frame with Klip Legend uncoated/Outlast that just have 6 hrs.

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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep them in mind if I go back to gut/poly.

I played a match in the morning and went back to my regular multi. What a difference! I missed the power and spin, but my arm actually felt better after the match than before it. I think my next round of gut testing will be with a full bed of Mamba Premium. I'll probably string it up at max tension to tone down the power as much as possible.

You also might want to give Solinco Outlast a try as a cross with gut. Of all the polys I've tried, Outlast plays the most consistant throughout the life of the string. I've never wanted to cut it out and string up a fresh cross like I sometimes do with CO-focus. I'm at 26.5 hrs with one Wilson NG/Outlast set up, and it feels almost exactly the same as another frame with Klip Legend uncoated/Outlast that just have 6 hrs.

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How is the softness/comfort with Solinco Outlast? I need the hybrid to be pillowy-soft, which is what Polystar Energy and MSV Co-Focus provided .

How is the softness/comfort with Solinco Outlast? I need the hybrid to be pillowy-soft, which is what Polystar Energy and MSV Co-Focus provided .

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I think Outlast has a softer feel than Co-focus. Keep the tension low though, 45-47lbs. These are the two cross strings I've been playing for the last few months so I feel confident in comparing the two. Co-focus starts off with a lighter crispness, but when it has died it does feel very soft and remains playable. The problem I have with co-focus is dealing with the transition period between fresh and dead. I love it fresh and like it quite a bit dead, but hate it in between, no feel or control.

Outlast as I said upstream, feels and behaves pretty consistant from day 1 to day 21. You'll have to give it a try to decide for yourself.

With the full bed of natural gut, its ball reflection angle is very different
from synthetics. Therefore, you will need to adjust your swing path.
That's the main reason why people tend to hit long when they hit with
nat gut 1st time.

With the full bed of natural gut, its ball reflection angle is very different
from synthetics. Therefore, you will need to adjust your swing path.
That's the main reason why people tend to hit long when they hit with
nat gut 1st time.

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My "swing path" is the same with gut, syn gut, multi, polys, kelvar. The only difference is how the stringbed feel to me. The only time I change my "swing path" is when I change my shots.

When you're talking about "swing path", "ball reflection angle" and any other absurd quantitative measurements, that's just hunting for excuses.

I think the key is to swing faster to take advantage of the power, and turn it into spin.

I didn't have a problem when I made the switch from syn gut/multi to gut. If anything I was like: "WOW, why do people complain about tennis elbows?"

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My problem with full gut is that I "MUST" use heavy spin to keep it in. If I want to belt a flatter putaway ball forget it. My serve is so good with full gut though, leaps and bounds above any other setup.

So, in the frame with MPNG/SPPP, the gut suffered catastrophic failure. And by that, I mean one of the mains unraveled and about 10 minutes later, it snapped.

I had about 20 hours on the strings, with string savers. The string savers really did the job and the strings showed no sign of wear.

I didn't glitter the stringbed with string savers, only on the 9th crosses from the top. (That's my sweetspot. Yes, I know, I have a slightly higher sweetspot) One of the mains on the 8th cross unraveled on a single hit, it sounded like bat upon impact.

The gut was hanging on by a thread at that point and 10minutes, it snapped.

Sort of annoyed because with the string savers, the gut could have easily gone at least 40 hours. It went from barely showing signs of wear, to unraveling with one shot, then breakage soon after.

Ray is apparently having issues with the supplier for the mamba string.

From an email with him regarding the SUPRA, which may or may not affect their premium gut sales
"I am afraid I do not have any more right now. I am fighting with our supplier over some consistency issues in our latest batch (which you must have run into) and their desire to raise prices AGAIN."
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I guess I wasn't the only one with this issue after all and other customers were experiencing this as well.

^^ My previous post was full of English fail. Haha. I can't believe I edited a typo by adding another typo...

But, I think eventually I will move onto brand name gut. So far, econo-gut tends to unravel on themselves. Most of the time they're fine, but one half-set of MPNG absolute exploded in my racquet once the unraveling started.

Mamba Supra Nat. gut is Sheep gut. So is that the same as Cow gut used by the majority of the quality gut makers?
Also can Mamba gut be strung in the mid 60lb. range like many of my gut clients as well as myself?

Mamba Supra Nat. gut is Sheep gut. So is that the same as Cow gut used by the majority of the quality gut makers?
Also can Mamba gut be strung in the mid 60lb. range like many of my gut clients as well as myself?

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Exactly..that is the thing. It can not. You should not go above 56#s..which works in a gut/poly hybrid, but not a full job.